The Colombian Government will suspend all flights to and from Brazil for 30 days as of Friday, January 29, due to the Brazilian variant of coronavirus.
The decision was announced by President Iván Duque during his evening address to the nation “Prevention and Action.” The measure mandates that all passengers who entered the country from Brazil between January 18 and 27 undergo a mandatory 14 day quarantine. The suspension does not apply to cargo and humanitarian flights, airline crews and Colombian citizens or residents re-entering the country.
President Duque also highlighted that land and river controls along the Colombian-Brazilian border in the department of Amazonas will be strengthened after Brazilian health authorities identified a case of the variant P.1(B.1.1.28.1) in the town of Tabatinga, neighboring Leticia. Colombia closed all its land and maritime borders in March last year with the Health Emergency and now joins a host of nations that have banned flights with the South American nation. The measure affects two major Latin American carriers – Avianca and TAM – that connect with direct flights Bogotá with Brazilian cities.
In November, Colombia suspended flights with the UK to prevent importation of the highly-infectious UK variant.
